Related papers: Superheavy Elements in Kilonovae
Half of all the elements in the universe heavier than iron were created by rapid neutron capture. The theory for this astrophysical `$r$-process' was worked out six decades ago and requires an enormous neutron flux to make the bulk of these…
The mergers of binary neutron stars, as well as black hole-neutron star systems, are expected to produce an electromagnetic counterpart that can be analyzed to infer the element synthesis that occurred in these events. We investigate one…
The discovery of the optical counterpart, along with the gravitational waves from GW170817, of the first binary neutron star merger, opened up a new era for multi-messenger astrophysics. Combining the GW data with the optical counterpart,…
We investigate the early (t < 1 day) kilonova from the neutron star merger by deriving atomic opacities for all the elements from La to Ra (Z = 57 - 88) ionized to the states V - XI. The opacities at high temperatures for the elements with…
Kilonovae are ultraviolet, optical, and infrared transients powered by the radioactive decay of heavy elements following a neutron star merger. Joint observations of kilonovae and gravitational waves can offer key constraints on the source…
The detailed observations of GW170817 proved for the first time directly that neutron star mergers are a major production site of heavy elements. The observations could be fit by a number of simulations that qualitatively agree, but can…
Neutron star (NS) mergers are known to produce heavy elements through rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis. Actinides are expected to be created solely by the r-process in the most neutron rich environments. Confirming if NS…
Binary neutron star mergers are thought to be one of the dominant sites of production for rapid neutron capture elements, including platinum and gold. Since the discovery of the binary neutron star merger GW170817, and its associated…
We present a rapid analytic framework for predicting kilonova light curves following neutron star (NS) mergers, where the main input parameters are binary-based properties measurable by gravitational wave detectors (chirp mass and mass…
The historic first joint detection of both gravitational wave and electromagnetic emission from a binary neutron star merger cemented the association between short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and compact object mergers, as well as providing a…
Kilonovae produced by mergers of binary neutron stars (BNSs) are important transient events to be detected by time domain surveys with the alerts from the ground-based gravitational wave detectors. The observational properties of these…
Kilonovae are a rare class of astrophysical transients powered by the radioactive decay of nuclei heavier than iron, synthesized in the merger of two compact objects. Over the first few days, the kilonova evolution is dominated by a large…
We study the production of very light elements ($Z < 20$) in the dynamical and spiral-wave wind ejecta of binary neutron star mergers by combining detailed nucleosynthesis calculations with the outcome of numerical relativity merger…
We review current understanding of kilonova/macronova emission from compact binary mergers (mergers of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole). Kilonova/macronova is optical and near-infrared emission powered by radioactive…
The spectral features observed in kilonovae (KNe) reveal the elemental composition and the velocity structures of matter ejected from neutron star mergers. In the spectra of the kilonova AT2017gfo, a P Cygni line at about 1$\mu$m has been…
The mergers of neutron stars expel a heavy-element enriched fireball which can be observed as a kilonova. The kilonova's geometry is a key diagnostic of the merger and is dictated by the properties of ultra-dense matter and the energetics…
The mergers of compact binaries with at least one neutron star component are the potential leading sites of the production and ejection of $r$-process elements. Discoveries of galactic binary pulsars, short gamma-ray bursts, and…
Kilonovae from compact binary mergers are most informative when accompanied by a gravitational-wave signal, which can help identify the source as a binary neutron star (BNS) or a neutron star-black hole (NSBH) merger. However, future events…
In the new era of gravitational wave (GW) and multi-messenger astrophysics, the detection of a GW signal from the coalescence of a black hole - neutron star (BHNS) binary remains a highly anticipated discovery. This kind of system is…
Kilonova is an optical-infrared transient powered by the radioactive decay of heavy nuclei from binary neutron star mergers. Its observational characteristics depend on the mass and the nuclide composition of meger ejecta, which are…